Bill would create a statewide registry for veterans

Under the proposal, the registry would be voluntary for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Chairman of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, Senator Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa) is author of the bill, which would accomplish two goals.

Sullivan says veterans who choose to be added to the registry will be given information about programs on a regular basis so they can make better use of the benefits they've earned.

"Second, the registry will allow the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs to better provide services to veterans afflicted by future ailments that may still be unknown today."

The registry is part of a Democratic "Veterans Care Package" introduced Tuesday at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson says, if passed, Wisconsin would be the first in the nation to have such a registry.